San Francisco airport becomes first in the United States to require vaccination for all workers

San Francisco International Airport has become the first airport in the United States to require all workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the mayor’s office said on Tuesday.

The mandate goes into effect immediately and requires all workers on site to be vaccinated or tested negative for the virus every week if they are exempt, the office of the mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, said in a statement. The rule applies to all employees of airlines, services, dealerships and construction.

“We know that vaccines are the most effective way to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and reduce hospitalizations and deaths,” Breed said in the statement. “This new requirement supports our aggressive measures to protect the health and safety of our region and our continued economic recovery. I would like to thank SFO for its continued leadership in protecting our city and its visitors.

Exemptions can be granted on the basis of medical disability or sincere religious belief, the statement said.

“As SFO prepares for the upcoming holiday travel season and the return of passenger levels before the pandemic, we have an obligation to provide a safe airport facility to the traveling public and our on-site employees. According to the Centers for Disease Control, vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, ”airport manager Ivar C. Satero said in the statement.

In August 2020, the airport became the first to establish a rapid on-site test and now administers tests to around 500 travelers every day, the statement said.

Although the announcement makes SFO the first airport to require all workers to be vaccinated, some transit workers across the country have been required. New York previously announced that all transit workers would be required to show proof of the vaccine or test negative every week.

Hawaii also requires workers at state facilities, including airports, to be vaccinated, according to the Associated Press.

Some airlines have also announced vaccination warrants for employees.

United Airlines announced in August that all employees should be vaccinated by October 25. The mandate applies to all of its 67,000 employees, including flight attendants and boarding agents. The company said 80% of flight attendants and 90% of pilots had been vaccinated.

Delta Airline employees who do not get vaccinated are fined $ 200 per month in November for “dealing with the financial risk the decision not to vaccinate creates for our business,” the airline said in August. . The fine was calculated based on the average hospital stay of COVID-19 patients, which cost the company $ 40,000 per employee.

Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said earlier in September that he supported vaccine requirements for air travel, including passengers.

“I would argue that if you want to get on a plane and travel with other people, you should be vaccinated,” Fauci said in an interview with the Skimm podcast.